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Labor Day
This weekend many of us are celebrating the last throes of summer (I'm working -however it is for a good cause -so I'm not bitter about it. Generally not too bitter -that is until I see the picnics on the beach, the kite's drifting by and the happy sounds of families playing).
Americans work hard -we work longer hours, and generate more productivity while taking less vacation than anywhere else in the world. We do this to provide a better life for ourselves and our families.

The Fall 2015 Fox replacement for the popular show "American Idol" is the GOP Debate series. It is spectacle and theater that even has some of my left of center friends talking about "if you had to, which of them would you vote for?"

We are very grateful to Rep. Gomberg and Senator Roblan for their leadership -and to the 2015 Oregon State Legislature overall in this past session. While Mr. Folkers note appears fittingly in the "Opinion" section -I do hope the NewTimes will follow with at least 97 peer-reviewed articles written by Climatologists that have not been paid by Big Oil or Koch front groups to deceive the American public about climate change.

File this under "Media consolidation and manufacturing consent". Is anyone else wondering why any time Donald Trump sneezes or some Koch brothers perspective flies out of the mouth of the GOP candidates for president (ie.-Bush wants to end Medicare) it is a CNN Special Report and is covered hourly by all other broadcast and cable "news" -yet when Senator Bernie Sanders is drawing over-capacity crowds nationwide -there is little to no coverage.

Kudo's to Representative Gomberg and Representative Lininger for their co-sponsorship of HB 3332. The bill requres a business entity to garner majority shareholder approval for campaign donations (contribution amounts and proposed recipients). We see this as an important, intermediate step in countering the "Citizens United" versus FEC Supreme Court decision until such time that we can pass a Constitutional amendment that makes clear that corporations are not people.

On Saturday, March 14 Lincoln City's first "Strut Your Stuff Talent Show" was supposed to be held at Taft High School. The show was promised to be not just another high school talent show. It was to be Lincoln County's first LGBTQ+ themed talent show with area students, teachers, featuring acts from all ages and abilities.

The event actually had to be moved to the Salishan Spa and Golf Resort. It was reported that there were "multiple complaints" to Taft High School, to Lincoln City Mayor Williams and others.

Oregon SB 324 will extend provisions that were initially passed in 2009 and signed into law by former Governor Ted Kulongoski. This is good legislation –and has been strongly and jointly recommended by the non-profit stalwart Consumer Reports and the Citizens’ Utility Board –an Oregon leader in consumer advocacy in the energy industry.

The following column was printed by the Newport NewsTimes and others -written by Steve Boynton. In the column Steve raises justifiable concerns about per student funding for Lincoln County Schools decreasing which puts additional pressure on K-12 schools to do more with less -after several years of already declining funding. Please review and join us at our special program on April 8th on Education.

Oregon SB 324 (reauthorization of the Clean Fuels Program) is a bill in the current session that repeals the sunset on provisions that were initially passed in 2009 and signed into law by former Governor Ted Kulongoski.